Right on cue, and as predicted, the Murdoch Mafia mobilises its protection racket to distract from questions about their reckless abuse of Western intelligence agencies to help get Trump re-elected. All because I dared to ask these 5 questions… THREAD theguardian.com/media/2020/may…
ONE: Was this an “intelligence” product involving actual confidential sources, or just public info dressed up as a secret dossier? The Iraq War experience suggests media should be very careful accepting dodgy dossiers claiming to be “intelligence” to advance a political case.
TWO: Is it actually a Five Eyes product as claimed by Murdoch’s Australian, FoxNews & Paul Murray (a notorious, public Trump sycophant)? Or is it from the Trump Admin's political wing? Other Murdoch reports cite “concerned western governments” as source, whatever that means…
THREE: Who leaked it? Leaking intelligence documents, including Five Eyes material, is a crime — see the US's tough approach on Assange & Manning leaks. Trump has previously vowed that any leakers would “pay a big price”. Not so here. I wonder why.
FOUR: Were any Aussie politicians complicit with this, and was the US Embassy involved? These basic questions demand answers, now that Oz & UK intelligence have comprehensively rejected claims in the US “dossier”, as rendered by the Murdoch media, in their media briefings.
FIVE: If the Australian Govt is serious about protecting classified documents, why hasn’t a full police investigation been commissioned? They’ve been ruthless in chasing down other leaks in recent years. I’d suggest they’re afraid of where any investigation would lead…
Murdoch thugs like Paul Murray attack anyone who challenges their chronic manipulation of the truth. In reality, Murdoch & Trump are working against our security interests: this dramatic, premature bet on the as-yet-untested lab theory plays into the hands of China’s propaganda.
Overreach can backfire. Aust, UK & US intelligence already don't believe the Trump-Murdoch lab thesis. So what happens if/when it’s disproven? China escapes accountability for the real questions they face over the origin, spread & delayed global notification of the outbreak.
Make no mistake: Murdoch is working in lockstep with Trump's campaign. They want the election to be about looking toughest on China, rather than the President’s catastrophic acceptance of Beijing’s early assurances that COVID was under control & his failure to save American lives
Murdoch never mentions that I backed a global inquiry into the virus on April 3 (weeks before Morrison). Repeated that call 10+ times in Aus & global media. Just like Iraq, Murdoch smears as unpatriotic anyone with the guts to challenge their monopoly’s abuse of "intelligence".
